Jordan Buck on Display at Springfield Bass Pro Shops

The whitetail buck of the century – the James Jordan buck taken in Wisconsin in 1914 – is now on display at Bass Pro Shops in Springfield, Missouri. Visitors to the granddaddy of all outdoor stores in Springfield will see the original rack from the buck Jordan shot 100 years ago. Jordan buck on display at Bass Pro Shops Springfield, Missouri, store in honor of iconic whitetail’s 100th anniversary.

Not only is this giant the number two typical whitetail on Boone and Crockett’s all-time list with a score of 206 1/8, it still holds the honor of being the world record 10-pointer. And the story behind the rack is as extraordinary as the buck itself.

In the fall of 1914, a young James Jordan grabbed his Winchester Model 1892 and headed out on a snowy morning in Wisconsin’s BurnettCounty. At a time when white-tailed deer were scarce, Jordan took a doe early that morning before he connected with the behemoth buck. Feeling certain he had a solid hit, Jordan began tracking the trophy, downing him with a final shot along the bank of the Yellow River.

Jordan knew he had to commemorate this amazing hunt with a neck mount and delivered the monster antlers to a local taxidermist. What happened next was almost unthinkable – the taxidermist moved to another state without leaving word with Jordan or a forwarding address. Jordan’s huge deer had vanished and remained out of circulation for 50 years. In 1964, a man named Bob Ludwig bought the mega mount at a garage sale for $3. In what can only be considered a bizarre coincidence, Ludwig was Jordan’s nephew, but Ludwig had no idea who the deer belonged to. When Ludwig showed his Uncle James the buck he had bought, Jordan knew in an instant it was the trophy he had taken back in 1914.

Unfortunately, more years passed before the big buck was officially listed. When the announcement was finally made that the buck would be listed in the B&C’s all-time book as the James Jordan buck from Burnett County, Wisconsin, the hunter had already passed away.

To read the full account of this incredible story, check out the November 2014 issue of the Kansas Wildlife Federation’s newsletter. Then actually see this legendary whitetail at Bass Pro Shops flagship superstore at 1935 S. Campbell in Springfield, Missouri. For information about the Springfield Bass Pro Shops, visit http://www.basspro.com/springfield.

The original Jordan buck is part of Bass Pro Shops King of Bucks collection. This awe-inspiring collection includes more than 200 of the world’s greatest whitetails including three current world record trophies and 24 state and provincial records.